1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a rearview mirror, and in particular relates to a rearview mirror having both a stationary mirror and a pivoting mirror.
2. Description of the Related Art
While driving a vehicle, a driver must keep his/her attention focused upon the road ahead as well as behind the vehicle. A standard rearview mirror enhances driving safety by enabling the driver to momentarily view behind the vehicle without substantially turning his/her head away from the road. Often, however, the driver will engage in conversation with a passenger seated in the front passenger seat of the vehicle, and will turn his/her head to look at the passenger while driving. This will distract the driver from paying attention to the road ahead of or behind the vehicle, thereby increasing the chances of occurrence of a car accident. Accordingly, there is a need for a rearview mirror having both a stationary mirror for viewing the road behind the vehicle, and a pivoting mirror which selectively swivels with respect to the mirror housing, thereby enabling the driver to selectively view the passenger without having to turn his/her head away from the road in front of the vehicle or from the stationary mirror which provides a view of the road behind the vehicle.
A variety of rearview mirrors have been devised for use within a vehicle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,455 to Sorenson and U.S. Pat. No. 5,668,526 to Collins both appear to show a rearview mirror comprised of a main portion and an auxiliary portion that is used to view an occupant in a rear seat. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,459 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,459, both to Straus, appear to show a rearview mirror comprised of a pair of mirrors.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.